PUDDiNG cup
by Ankosune
Summary: [ It was sweet. ] He knew what was going on before he even saw it. [ But not as sweet as her. ] — DENZEL & MARLENE


PUDDIN**G** . **C**UP

**H**e knew what was going on before he even saw it.

He could smell the pungent odor of burning chocolate and overcooked eggs, the stench filling his nose as he trotted down the steps of the bar and towards the kitchen. He could hear the gurgling and bubbling of an unusual combination of ingredients as it boiled in a pot over a crackling fire. He could practically taste it, could almost feel the toxic recipe burning the back of his throat.

He entered the kitchen, and his worst fears were realized.

Marlene was cooking breakfast.

She hummed a sweet melody as she bustled about the room, pulling out various jars and bottles from the cupboards and emptying their contents into a pot that she was nearly too short to reach. Empty boxes and half-full containers were scattered across the countertops, spilling sugar, jam, and other unidentifiable substances over the wooden surfaces and onto the floors. He lifted one sandy-brown eyebrow as she added several spoonfuls of yogurt, followed by over half a bottle of vinegar, to her rather unappetizing concoction. As her long, slim fingers reached for a can of tomato juice, he cleared his throat and spoke.

"Uh...Marlene? What are you doing?"

She turned around and smiled at him, her honey-brown tresses whipping around her shoulder in a tight, spiraling braid. She chuckled warmly, dipping one finger carefully into the pot. "I'm making breakfast, silly," she giggled, swiping her hand across his freckled nose. "I made your favorite, Denzel: chocolate pudding."

He did his best not to gag, though the water swimming in his baby blue eyes threatened to give him away. Whatever it was that was dangling from the tip of his nose, he was certain that it was _not _chocolate pudding. As she turned back to her cooking once more, he immediately wiped the poisonous glob off of his face with a napkin, successfully hiding it behind his back before she could notice anything.

"Alright," Marlene declared proudly, planting her hands on her hips. "It's almost done; all it needs is sugar." She stretched her arm out to her left, her fingers fumbling across the counter until they made contact with a small box amidst a cluster of sticky measuring cups.

The label on the box read 'Baking Soda'.

Time seemed to slow down as she drew the box towards her and upended it over the simmering contents of the pot. And in the time it took for the powder to hit the surface of the mixture, Denzel remembered.

There was vinegar in that pot.

"Marlene, no!"

Too late. With a loud, gurgling rumble, the pudding that wasn't pudding began to rise until it reached the brim of the pot. Slowly, a bubble began to form on the surface, swelling and pulsing until finally—

_Pop_!

It was everywhere; bits and pieces of Marlene's recipe stained the walls and fell from the ceiling in small, foul-smelling drops. She stood there, frozen, the empty box of baking soda still clutched in her pale fingers. Her mouth opened wide with shock as she gaped speechlessly at the chocolate-spattered stove.

She turned around, blinking slowly, taking in the disaster area that had once been the kitchen. The sink, the towel rack, the cupboards; everything had been splattered with what was supposed to be her breakfast. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Denzel.

She took one look at him before she burst out laughing.

He raised one eyebrow, so far up that it nearly disappeared beneath his hair. She was bent almost double, holding her stomach while gripping the edge of the counter for support as tears of hysteria rolled down her rosy cheeks. "What's so funny?" he queried, shooting her an odd look.

She pointed at him with one hand, using the other to snatch up an upturned cooking tray that had fallen to the floor. "You!" she choked out between breaths. She held up the tray so that he could see his reflection. "Look at you!"

And as he looked at himself in the makeshift mirror, he couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. He looked absolutely ridiculous. His hair and his clothes were matted with pudding; it was smeared across his face and slipped down his arms like a malodorous snail. The smile became a grin, and the grin a chortle, and before he knew it he was in the same position as Marlene.

"You don't look so good yourself," he chuckled, positioning the tray so that she could see her own reflection, which only served to send her into another fit of hysterics.

They stood there for what seemed like an hour, their laughter echoing throughout the bar. It was a wonder that Tifa hadn't come downstairs to see what all the racket was about.

It was Marlene who composed herself first. Still giggling, she dashed towards the fridge and pulled out two cups of chocolate pudding.

"Well, at least we still have these." She handed him a spoon and a pudding cup, never allowing the smile to slip off her batter-covered face.

He took it and smiled back at her. Then he tore off the top of the container and spooned some pudding into his mouth.

It was sweet, he decided.

But not as sweet as he**r**.

…

**a.n.** oy. here I go again with the lack of updates. blame school;  
my teachers have been piling assignment after assignment on  
my shoulders and I never have time to post new chapters. I'll  
do my best to update **a**rtificial **s**plendor soon, but in the mean-  
time, please read & review. :3  
**disc**. insert witty disclaimer, in which jimu/ankosune states  
that she does not own any of the final fantasy vii titles, here


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